


Moment of Steel

by dodongodislike



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-05 13:49:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6706771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dodongodislike/pseuds/dodongodislike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lesson in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

**Title:** Moment of Steel  
 **Author:** Dodongo Dislike  
 **Summary:** A lesson in love.  
 **Based on:** OOT, mostly. Pieces from other games were used as needed.  
  


* * *

_**Chapter One** _

Consciousness returned slowly and irrevocably, first with the awareness of the pain in her skull, then the cold hard stone behind her, and finally with the darkness that surrounded her.

Princess Zelda found herself alive, in pain, and extremely annoyed. _Oh, for Din's sake. Not again._

She took a few steadying breaths, swallowed her aggravation, and began to assess her situation with fierce, cold logic. _This is clearly less than optimal._ First, she needed to determine her physical status. It seemed she could move her legs fine. But her arms had been bound behind her back, and when she tried to move them—she bit back a cry of pain as she shifted her hands and realized something had been driven through them.

So. Whoever had done this didn't want her completely immobilized, just unable to use her arms. But since when had the Princess of Destiny needed physical weapons to defend herself? Closing her eyes, she willed her nerves to stillness and summoned Din's Fire.

And nearly vomited with agony when blinding pain exploded behind her eyeballs.

Her head fell against the floor with a crack, and she gasped, swallowing back bile.

_What in the name of the Three?_

Still gasping for breath, she tried to collect her thoughts. It appeared this enemy was more of a danger than an annoyance. The mysterious object that nailed her palms together must be a nail—or needle, or shard—of iron. Iron was poison to magic. It was a well-kept secret, but obviously, Zelda reflected as she let the pain fade away, not secret enough.

Very well then. Whoever had gotten her not only had a cruel streak, but also knew more about magic than she cared to think about.

She had, for now, been taken out of the game. It seemed she was doomed to stay here until one of three things happened: she was killed, she figured out a means of escape, or the Hero of Time did something incredibly noble and overly dramatic.

Come to think of it, where in Din's fiery hell was the Hero of Time, anyway? Shouldn't he have been in the castle for this little piece of excitement? No. She remembered now. Link was off investigating rumors of a Tektite infestation along the Calatian border, west of Lake Hylia.

She also remembered bits of what must have been the previous evening. Prince Aeron of Holodrum, her late husband's brother, had been in residence for what was supposed to have been a visit to his brother's grave and his nephew, Prince Daphnes Nohansen.

At the thought of her son, Zelda could feel panic begin to well up within her. _No_ , she thought, whether to ward off the cold terror that began to grip her heart or to deny the myriad of horrible things that could have happened to him while she lay here, bound and useless. _No_.

Survival instinct honed over seven years of hiding from Ganondorf and perfected throughout her mostly solitary adulthood asserted itself ruthlessly, bringing with it the welcome relief of rationality. Impa had been carrying the boy, she remembered, as they walked back to Zelda's chambers after a late dinner. When something had grabbed Zelda out of a shadowy corner, Impa had flinched back, clutched the boy to her chest, and had run without waiting to hear Zelda's shout. _"Take him!"_

There the memories ended, which was just as well, because she could hear movement—the tromp of footsteps and clanking of metal as several armed people came down the corridor towards her cell.

Good. It was time to find out what this ridiculous situation was all about.

It hurt to stand, from the throbbing in her head to the aching in her shoulders to the searing fire in her palms, but she did. The bastards would not see her on her knees. Impa had taught her long ago that a Princess of Hyrule bows to no one. Zelda had never forgotten.

She was on her feet and ready for them by the time the door opened. Yes, this was Hyrule Castle, where the dungeon bars groaned from disuse.

It had been so dark in the cell that the torches they brought made her eyes water, and she had to look away until the momentary blindness passed. When she was able to see again, she raised her head deliberately, taking them in.

As she had feared, the man at the forefront was her dead husband's brother. _Treacherous bastard_ , she thought as she struggled to control her anger. Aeron was flanked by three guards, all wearing Holodrum's colors.

_And where are my loyal guardians?_ Zelda wondered bitterly. _Whose magic has so ensorcelled them that they allow this?_

A flutter of motion behind the prince attracted her attention to a shadowy form, and Zelda realized at once who her true enemy was. _And who are you, who knows enough about magic to bind mine with iron?_ She was fairly certain she didn't want to know.

Aeron's voice dragged her attention back to him. "Where is he?"

Zelda could think of only two "he"s the prince would be referring to, but she'd be damned if she'd make this easy for him. "Where's who?"

He sneered. "Don't play coy with me, Zelda, you know who. Where is Nohansen? Where is my brother's son?"

" _My_ son."

"Where did that Sheikah bitch take him?"

Zelda smiled as serenely as she could, hoping to hide the piercing relief that made her knees go weak. Noha was with Impa. She said a silent prayer of thanks to all three goddesses and said, "Where you'll never find him."

His eyes narrowed. "Oh, I'll find him."

It seemed her captor was far from a master wordsmith. Zelda began to anticipate many more tedious exchanges like this until she was able to escape. "What is it you want, Aeron? You'll rule all of Holodrum one day. You don't need Hyrule."

"I don't want Hyrule. I want to restore the rightful king to the throne and tell him the truth about his whore of a mother!"

Zelda smiled again, this one a mocking one. "He's a little young for that lesson now, but I'm sure he'll figure it out on his own one day."

"And when will he learn that you murdered his father?"

She was so surprised she couldn't prevent herself from gasping, "What?"

Aeron took a menacing step towards her. But not, she noted, too far from his guards. _Is he so afraid of a woman in chains?_ "Do you think I'm a fool?" the prince hissed. "My brother was too good a horseman to just fall like that. I don't know what manner of witchcraft you used, but you'll pay for it."

"You are a fool," Zelda countered. "Darius's accident was nothing more than that. He was a good man—why would I want him dead?"

"So you could rut with that loyal dog of yours."

He was mad. No one born royal could possibly see any logic in murdering a spouse simply to have an affair. There were too many potential political ramifications. Besides, no one born royal expected to marry for love anyway. Zelda had considered herself extraordinarily lucky that her husband had been as kind and wise a man as he was. "And now you think I'm the fool. Both Darius and I were adult enough to understand the value of a discrete consort. I wouldn't have needed him dead to indulge myself."

And besides, Link had been an ocean away at the time.

She had little time to marvel at his stupidity, for he was now ranting, "You can tell me where my nephew is and step aside for him, or not tell me and let me kill you when I find him. Either way, you'll face justice, you witch."

"Then kill me, if that's your idea of justice." Zelda held his eyes, letting the full force of her belief shine in her own. "But if you do, you should run as fast and as far as you can, now and for the rest of your life. You called the Hero of Time a dog, and a hound he is. Because if I die, he will never stop hunting you."

Aeron swept out with a snarl, his entourage huddled around him. All but one. The shadow remained, and with the others out of the way, it was even easier for her to smell the stench of black magic that surrounded him.

Zelda had dealt with far too much black magic in her life to show any fear of it now. "And what is _your_ purpose?"

The wizard inclined his head in mocking honor, but made no move to approach or to leave. "I am pleased to speak with you alone, Your Grace."

"Your pleasure is noted. I do wonder, however, what manner of strange circumstance led one such as yourself into the service of a fool like Aeron."

"Your grace is mistaken. I serve no one"

Clearly, Aeron served him. The young prince Zelda had met at her wedding had been nothing like the raving madman who had just been in her cell. He had loved Darius, true, but brotherly affection was insufficient to explain the power of his rage. A blood spell was at work here. It was the only explanation for Aeron's madness and her own imprisonment in a castle that was filled with people who were supposed to be—who _were_ —loyal to her.

"And so I ask again: what is your purpose?" But of course she knew. The Triforce. Always the Triforce. "You know Impa will never let you near my son. And as long as he is alive, Hyrule will never be yours."

"I care nothing about the boy or Hyrule. You know that, Your Grace." He paused. "I am, however, curious as to the whereabouts of—what did Aeron call him? Your loyal dog."

"I don't know."

The wizard sighed, and it was a dry, dead sound. "It doesn't matter. He'll come for you soon."

Zelda said nothing. There was nothing to say. The wizard was right, and she knew it. While logic would argue that the Hero of Time lead the charge to protect and restore the Heir to the throne, Link had never been much for logic. Instead, he'd be coming to rescue the Heir's useless old mother. Though he'd grown wiser and more careful with age, Link still let his heart rule his head.

Her bitter musings did not prevent Zelda from a fleeting second of amusement imagining Link's reaction to the news. He must have been apoplectic. She caught herself before she could laugh out loud.

Shadows fluttered on the edge of her vision, and she looked back at the wizard. "Once he's here, I'll have both of your powers to hand. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you decide to yield yours to me first."

At that, she did laugh. "If you think that's even possible, you're a bigger fool than Aeron. You may have me tied up and poisoned with iron, but you will never see me yield." _A Princess bows to no one._

His grin was a white slash through the darkness. "I think we both know that everyone had their breaking point, Your Grace. I'll be interested to learn yours."

There was no torture, no amount of pain or agony that could break her. There was only one thing, and Impa had seen to it. _Noha is safe._ "I'll be interested to watch you try."

The wizard bowed again, and vanished into the darkness.

It wasn't until long after he had left that Zelda let herself sag against the wall, fear warring with anger in her heart. She pressed her forehead against the cold stones, seeking relief from the burning pain in her hands. _Oh Link_ , she thought. _We're getting too old for this_.


	2. Chapter Two

**Title:** Moment of Steel  
 **Summary:** A lesson in love.  
 **Based on:** OOT, mostly. Pieces from other games were used as needed. **  
**

* * *

_**Chapter Two** _

Malon sighed into the cold air, watching as her breath froze into a dazzling array of crystals. The beauty of it brought a quick smile to her lips, before she sighed again and reached down to pat the horse beneath her.

"Winter's coming, girl," she murmured.

The mare flicked an ear back towards her, but didn't stop grazing. _As if we don't feed you enough at the ranch_ , Malon thought fondly.

She returned her gaze to the horizon, squinting into the rising sun. Link would be coming from the east, if the men had been right about his whereabouts. So here she was, on a convenient rise between LonLon Ranch and Castle Town, hoping to intercept him with her news.

The stillness of the morning was at direct odds with the tumult of the past two days, making the recent events even harder to believe. When the first of the palace guards had arrived at the ranch with news of the visiting prince's treachery, she had been shocked. Hyrule had been peaceful and prosperous for so many years now, that she, like every other citizen, had assumed that they were free finally from the upheaval that had defined her youth.

But there they were, standing at the gates, telling their tale of sorcery and warning her to be careful. The prince had some sort of magic at his disposal that had infected some of castle folks. Oddly, only some had been affected. Some, like the three men before her, had not.

"We know you're loyal," the older one had said, a strong man with a handsome smile and a dusting of gray at his temples. "We thought we'd let you know what was going on and beg you for fresh horses"

Their plan had been to escape to the border, spread the word of their actions, and form some sort of plan to re-take their home.

They were very surprised when Malon had told them they were being ridiculous. Hiding out in the wilderness, far from the center of the kingdom? How on earth were any of the others to learn their location and get there easily? Clearly, the ranch was the best site for such activities. It was close enough to castle to keep an eye on events there and full of places for people to hide, if need be.

The three men had briefly withdrawn to debate among themselves before deciding to take her up on the offer.

And thus Malon found herself at the center of a small but growing rebellion.

She had gone to the castle yesterday for her usual milk delivery. To not go would have aroused suspicion, and she wanted to see things for herself. The stillness and relative normalcy of the town was stunning. Some of the people she saw, old friends, returned her wave with wary smiles, nodding cautiously.

It had been maddening. It was as if everyone was simply unable to act, or waiting for someone else to act first.

Well, that someone was certain to be on his way soon. Malon had no idea if Link had any idea what was going on, but even if he did, he couldn't possibly have all of the details. Her only challenge would be keeping him from racing off before she could tell him everything.

She'd had a stud like him once. Extraordinarily stubborn and willful, Phaeton had simply refused to come to hand. She'd ultimately had to geld him to make him into a useful horse, which had been a shame. He'd been a spectacular piece of horseflesh. But Malon liked her breeding stock the way she liked her men: even-tempered and willing to compromise.

Siona sensed the oncoming horse and rider before Malon did, raising her head to alert the rancher to their arrival. Malon stood up in the stirrups, shielding her eyes from the sun, and quickly identified the big bay gelding cantering towards them.

_Here we go_ , she thought. She lightly squeezed Siona's barrel with her calves, and the mare shot forward into a gallop.

As soon as Siona halted, Malon jumped off of her, bringing the reins over her head. "Get off," she said, before Link could so much as open his mouth.

He dismounted next to her and again before he could say anything, Malon spoke. "The Holodrum prince has taken over the castle with some sort of dark magic. It happened two days ago. Impa made it out with the little prince." At the mention of the little boy who had clutched her hand and laughed as she led him on his first pony ride, her voice broke. "No one knows where they are"

At her first words, Link's face had gone deathly pale. "And Zelda?"

"Word in the town is that Aeron's spread rumors that she had Darius killed and he wants her brought to justice."

"Justice," Link replied with a dangerous softness. His dark blue eyes had taken on the fierce, terrifying glow that Malon had never been able to reconcile with her big-hearted friend. "And where are Zelda's loyal subjects?"

"Frightened, and I think some are under a spell. Some of those who aren't are at the ranch already, and more are coming. They want to fight back."

His smile was a thin, bitter mockery. "About time they got into the spirit of things."

"Link, please. We're trying."

The smile softened marginally. "Sorry, Mal." He turned back to his horse. "Time for me to play my part."

"No," she stopped him, offering up the reins of her mare. "Take Siona, she's fresh, and she's sensible."

"How does she handle monsters?"

"I saw her chase a wolfos out of her paddock a few weeks ago."

"She did?" He gave the mare's neck an appreciative slap. "Good girl."

"There's food and some medical supplies in the saddle bags, plus a change of clothes," Malon continued as Link swung up into the saddle.

Link grinned down at her, the thought of taking action easing his nerves. "Clothes for me?"

"Not unless you want a fresh skirt, Fairy Boy."

He chuckled, gathering up his reins. Malon could see Siona tense in readiness as he took up the contact, but she didn't let go of the bridle just yet. "You're welcome to come back to the ranch."

Link shook his head. "It'll be one of the first places they'll look. Don't worry, pony girl. Keep everyone there, and we'll send word when we can."

"Link…." she sighed. She hated this. "Just be careful."

His dark blue eyes caught hers, and she could see the laughter in them despite his terrible anger. "Don't worry, Malon. I'm too old to do anything really crazy."

Then he was winking at her, and she was released the bridle, and the gray mare was galloping away like quicksilver in the rising sun.

Malon waited until horse and rider had vanished over the horizon before she turned to the tired gelding beside her. "All right boy," she said, running a hand down his wide blaze. "We've got work to do."


End file.
